Curtis Sittenfeld on the institution of marriage in New York Times

You can find in-depth coverage of yesterday's historic Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage rights for all Americans at Cincinnati.com, CNN and The New York Times. CityBeat reflects on a "a year of queer" before today's Cincinnati Pride events.

Writer Curtis Sittenfeld, a Cincinnati native and P.G.'s sister, has published an opinion piece in The New York Times reacting to the marriage ruling. It's a personal reflection on the institution of marriage titled "Welcome, Everyone, to the Right to Marry."

"For an institution that has, especially in recent weeks and years, been subject to such extensive and vigorous public debate, marriage is strangely unknowable — that is, any particular marriage is mysterious to anyone outside it," she begins. "Think of a couple in your life or the public eye, gay or straight: When they’re alone together, do you imagine they’re nicer, meaner or exactly the same with each other as when they’re around others? Who attends to which household obligations? If they have young kids, how do they handle child care? How frequently do they fight or have sex? Are they, as individuals, fundamentally glad or regretful that they’re together?"

Sittenfeld concludes: "Now that same-sex marriage is legal nationwide, plenty of gay people won’t get married just because they can, just as plenty of straight people don't. Even so, how wonderful that the option exists for all of us."

Read Curtis Sittenfeld's full New York Times article here.